USA > Maine > The story of the Maine Fifteenth; being a brief narrative of the more important events in the history of the Fifteenth Maine regiment; together with a complete roster of the regiment , embracing the name of every officer and enlisted man serving > Part 8
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Daring the night we were joined by the additional brigade just landed upon the coast. The troops were mainly from Indiana and Illinois -a Thirteenth Corps brigade. commanded by Col. Henry D. Washburn. This accession gave us two full brigades for the attack upon Fort Esperanza.
Bright and early on the morning of the 26th the advance up the island was commeneed-the troops making a march of some twenty-three miles before reaching the camp agreed upon : a large cattle-ranch, but ten miles from Fort Esperanza's outer works. On the 27th the march was resumed-Ransom's brigade moving up the centre of the island, and Wash- burn's, in a parallel line, on the beach. Before noon we had reached the light-house, close by the Fort. The rebel pickets were encountered at about eleven o'clock aud very unceremoniously driven within their works. After reconnoitering the position our line was formed, ocenpying a range
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of sand-hills within three hundred yards of the outer works-Ransom oc- cupying the left and Washburn the right. The fortification was found to be very formidable, extending from the bay to a lagoon running from the bay to the main-land side of the island. It was anywhere from ten to fif- teen feet high, and at least fifteen feet thick. 'That it mounted heavy guns was clearly apparent when the enemy opened upon us with 128-pounders and 24s. throwing shells, but with very little effect. The position and calibre of the works being ascertained, our advance was withdrawn, the afternoon and the day following being occupied in reconnoitering, with occasional skir- mishing and sharpshooting, diversified by artillery shots from the enemy.
Unfortunately, just as we had reached the vicinity of the works, another of those unearthly " Northers " sprang up, continuing some forty- eight hours, and not only rendering the operations on land disagreeable in the extreme, but practically preventing the proposed co-operation in the attack by the gunboats laying off the island. The soldiers suffered intensely all through the gale. The sand-pit excavations furnished the only shelter, and these were only accessible as an occasional resort, the troops having more pressing work in hand than promoting their own comfort. During the night of the 28th fatigue parties from all the regiments were put at work digging riffe-pits running parallel with the enemy's works-the boys diligently and adroitly plving the spade until after midnight, eagerly seek- ing their "sand-holes" when the job was completed for the refreshing slum- ber which they had so richly carned.
As a result of the effective labors of the " engineers," along the front of both the right and left sub-divisions of the line, our artillerists were enabled to plant batteries in much more eligible positions than formerly, and in the morning they commeneed to drop shells into the enemy's strong- hold, driving his men from their guus, and doing very effective work. Our guns were advanced and brought into position under a constant though quite inaccurate fire from: the heavy guns of the Fort. On the right, by skillful manduvring, Washburn planted his guns within seven hundred and twenty-five yards of the Fort before nightfall, some of his movements being so much exposed as to have been attended with great hazard had the enemy been throwing "the shell that scattereth " instead of the solid shot which may be so easily " dodged." Our batteries kept up an incessant and effective fire all day, the infantry leisurely standing by and watching the effect of the cannonade. and rejoicing at every substantial victory attained. By noon the rebels were compelled to seek refuge within the inner works of the fortress, when, following up the advantage, our guns were concentrated upon " the last ditch," rendering the enclosure so intolerably hot for the " Johnmies " as to overcome, for them at least, the effects of the very frigid temperature which the .. Norther " had brought to the entire Texas coast.
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Had the gale so far subsided during the day as to have permitted the gun- boats to take a hand in the fight, a white flag must have taken the place of the confederate ensign on the flag-staff of Esperanza quite carly in the day.
The artillery duel had been prolonged during the day mainly in the hope that the gale would have spent its force before moruing so far as to enable the gunboats to run by the Fort to render the escape of the garrison impossible; nevertheless all the arrangements had been perfected for an assault by the infantry early in the morning should the gunboats fail to put in an appearance. But the rebels seem to have anticipated our plans ; as, at about midnight, a terrific explosion was heard within the Fort, followed by others. The enemy was preparing to run away and was blowing up his magazines ! An advance of the skirmish line was at once ordered, who, gaining the interior of the Fort, found that the rebels had made good their escape, leaving behind his stores, ammunition, the personal baggage of the officers, etc. Cotton was piled around the different magazines, with loose powder scattered in various directions. Only two of the magazines were saved. Our advance pushed on to the rope-ferry, but were too late to. overtake the retreating rebels. The rope had been cut, allowing the float- ing bridge to swing around upon the shore ; the destruction of the bridge being prevented by the close pursuit of our advance, who extinguished the fire and captured six of the eight rebel soldiers left to fire the train. The garrison at the Fort comprised from five to seven hundred men, who owe their escape to the prevalence of the gale, which so effectually prevented any participation in the affair on the part of the naval vessels. So far as is known the rebels lost but one man in killed ; our loss was one killed and ten wounded. Considerable valuable property in the shape of ordnance and other stores fell into our hands. A small fort on an adjoining island, as well as Esperanza, was taken possession of.
The capture of Fort Esperanza cost but little in the way of blood- shed, yet, nevertheless. the campaign was one of very great privation, se- verely testing the powers of endurance of all participating. Gen. Wash- burn, in his official report, very aptly said :
" I cannot express in too strong language my admiration of the conduct of the officers and men engaged in this expedition. We left the foot of St. Joseph's Island without trans- portation of any kind, except twelve wagons used for transporting supplies. With this small train I had to supply twenty-eight hundred men, together with the animals belonging to the train, and horses for two batteries, nearly sixty miles from my base of supplies. The weather much of the time was very inclement, water very bad, and fuel scarce, but I never heard a complaint or murmur of any kind."
The possession of Fort Esperanza and Matagorda Bay gave to the expedition one of the finest harbors on the Texas coast. The bay extends into three counties at the month of the Colorado River, protected from the tempestuous waters of the Gulf by a long and narrow peninsula, and hay- .
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ing a most eligible avenue for the approach of vessels known as Pass Ca- vallo. The point occupied is only about forty miles from Indianola, and is in close proximity to Galveston, the largest city and the natural commercial centre of a country comprising nearly one-half the entire State. Never- theless the rebels had considerable territory still in their control, including a strongly fortified position at the mouth of the Brazos River, and the isl- and of Galveston, where, it was understood. Gen. Magruder's principal force was concentrated, numbering from twenty to twenty-five thousand, anxiously awaiting developments.
CHAPTER
XIV.
ON MATAGORDA ISLAND AND "DECROW'S POINT."
THE FIFTEENTH AGAIN SETTLES DOWN TO THE MONOTONY OF CAMP-LIFE. --- NEW ARRIVALS. - A NEW MINISTER AND DOCTOR. -- VARIOUS SCOUTING EXPEDITIONS. -- - WE OCCUPY MATAGORDA PENINSULA (DECROW'S POINT) .- GEN. DANA AGAIN AT THE HELM. - THE FIFTEENTH RE.ENLIST AS VETERAN VOLUNTEERS. -- A REVIEW OF THE SITUATION. -- WE " PULL UP STAKES" AND LEAVE TEXAS TO THE REBELS. -EVACUATION OF MATAGORDA PENINSULA. - THE FIFTEENTH AGAIN AT SEA !
MMEDIATELY after the occupation of Fort Esperanza the Fif- teenth made a reconnoisance extending some four or five miles, but without discovering even the shadow of an enemy, and the troops quietly settled down to the monotony of camp and garrison life-a very radical change from the ceaseless activities of the preceding month's campaigns. There were the frequent rides down the island and the sport incident to the driving of cattle after the manner of the ranchmen : an oc- casional reconnoisance to some portion of the mainland; the weekly and even the semi-weekly visits of the " Northers," etc., but very little trans- pired that was adventurous or noteworthy. A member of the regiments went into camp on Matagorda Peninsula soon after the taking of Esperanza. Gen. Washburn's headquarters, however, were continued on Matagorda Island during the entire month of December, and the Fifteenth and other regiments of its brigade lingered on the island until about the middle of January.
Early in December Col. John C. Cobb's colored regiment arrived on the island to garrison Fort Esperanza. The Colonel and a munker of
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the staff and line officers were formerly of the Fifteenth, and a very pleas- ant reunion of old comrades long separated was the incidental result.
The Fifteenth here also received very important accessions in the coming of the newly-appointed Chaplain, Rev. S. F. Wetherbee, and the Assistant Surgeon, Dr. George Z. Higgins. These popular and worthy officers were as cordially welcomed as the circumstances of the situation wonkl permit ; but with a terrific " Norther" under full sway upon their arrival and no means of providing artificial heat, there was not very much of " warmth " in the reception. Indeed the truth of history compels the confession that during the first night on Texas soil the Chaplain was com- pelled to lay his reverend head in an inhospitable pool of water, formed from the exceptionally heavy rain-fall, the gale toppling the teut over the heads of the field and staff officers as effectually as if it were constructed of straw !
Capt. C. S. Ilsley, of Gen. Ransom's staff, commanded a large scouting expedition up Matagorda Bay the middle of December, which was quite adventurous. The party penetrated the rebel country for a consider- able distance after leaving the row-boats. No enemy was encountered ; but on the return, near midnight, a gale sprang up, compelling landing from the boats on the beach a considerable distance from shore, on an un- occupied island. It was a dismal experience which the participants will not fail to recall.
About the 28th of December Lieut .- Col. Hesseltine, with one hundred men of the 13th Maine, had a very lively affair at the head of Matagorda Peninsula. They went up in a gunboat, landing in small boats through the surf on a reconnoisance. A gale sprung up completely cutting off com- munication with the gunboat soon after the party had landed. The rebel pickets were encountered and driven up the peninsula, but early in the afternoon a rebel force of from eight to ten hundred, mostly cavabry, put in an appearance, and endeavored to surround Col. Hesseltine's little party, who had hastily thrown up breastworks, and prepared to make a gallant resistance. The gunboat poured shot and shell upon the rebel force with good effect. Hesseltine's party were besieged within their works all night and during a portion of the next day, being taken upon the gunboat in the afternoon, without loss. A light-draught rebel gunboat came upon the scene just after our party had returned to their vessel, and opened fire, but she was soon driven ashore and became a total wreck. The affair was very creditable to the 13th Maine boys and the gunboats co-operating. The same day Gen. Ransom went up the Bay on a gunboat as far as the mouth of the Brazos River. He saw a large rebel force with strong works at Velasco, Quintana, and at the mouth of the San Bernard. The entire Texas army had concentrated in that region, prepared to show fight when-
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ever we should leave the islands and make a movement towards the interior.
Early in January Maj-Gen. Dana moved his headquarters from the Rio Grande to Matagorda Peninsula, and commenced concentrating all his available force in that direction. The brigade to which the Fifteenth had been temporarily assigned crossed over Jan. 17th; nearly all the troops, excepting the garrison at the Fort, now being upon the main land. The brigade (comprising the 13th and 15th Me., 20th and 84th Iowa, 64th Ohio, and 130th Illinois) was commanded successively by Gen. Ransom, Col. Dyer, and Col. Rust of the 13th Me .- Gen. Ransom becoming con- mander of the division in the re-organization of the troops.
Quite an amusing affair occurred soon after the brigade had become comfortably established upon the Peninsula. A sensational report was current that a large rebel force had landed upon the lower end of Mata- gorda Island and was moving up the island to attack Fort Esperanza. The Macedonian cry, " come over and help us," was speedily responded to. a large force being hastily ferried across by steamer-the Fifteenth being of the party. There was considerable of a panic at the Fort and every preparation had been made to resist what was interpreted as a threatened attack. The troops from the Peninsula reached the vicinity of the Fort at about 9 p. m. and immediately formed a line of battle a short distance from the Fort, the right taking position in the riffe-pits. Scouts were dis- patched in all directions but no enemy was discovered. The line was pre- served during the night. The next morning Lieut .- Col. Murray, with six companies of the Fifteenth, was dipatched upon a reconnoisance, " doing" the entire island, and making a very hard march of from fifty to sixty miles. Nothing more " rebellious " than the cattle roaming at will upon the island was discovered ; and the boys, weary and foot-sore, returned in due season, thoroughly disgusted at what they were pleased to characterize "a very great scare." From prudential reasons the force remained upon the island several days, returning to the Peninsula (more frequently termed " Decrow's Point ") January 25th.
At about this period the project of re-enlistment, as " Veteran Vol- unteers," was much agitated among the regiments eligible under the liberal offer made by the War Department, and the Fifteenth, especially, mani- fested a very lively interest in the matter. Under the provisions of an or- der from the War Dep't. under date Sept. 11, 1863, it was stipulated that all volunteers serving in three years' organizations, who had less than one year to serve on their original enlistment, and who should re-enlist for three years or the war, should be entitled to a bounty and premium of $402 from the general government ; the state government further prom- ised a bounty of $100 from the State; and $200 more was promised from the towns-a total of $702. In addition the re-enlisted soldier was prom-
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ised a furlough of thirty days, with transportation home and back. The Fifteenth men who joined the regiment at its original organization were eligible to re-enlistment under this order. The matter was thoroughly investigated and discussed, and the proposition was so very favorably re- garded by our soldiers that a large proportion of those entitled to do so promptly entered their names as "Veteran Volunteers." Nearly or quite three-fourths of those present for duty re-enlisted, and under the provisions of the order the regiment this became, in name as well as in fact, a Veteran Regiment, and was mustered as such Feb. 22d, 1864, to take rank on the re-enlistment from Jan. 25th, 1864. The commissions and rank of the officers were continued from the original date. The names of those Re- enlisting-not including the commissioned officers-as given in the Maine Adjutant General's Report, are appended. *
So far as any aggressive movements were concerned the Texas coast expedition seems to have terminated with the occupation of Matagorda Isl- and, Bay and Peninsula. Esperanza had been captured the latter portion of November; yet the months of December, January and a portion of Feb-
N. C. STAFF .-- Segt. Maj. Edwin A. Low, Hos. Stew. Charles P. Storer.
COMPANY A .- Edwin P. Bridges, Andrew J. Bulmer, Wm. A Caswell, Stephen H. Case, Augustus F. Chambers, Wm. H. Chambers, Patrick Conners, Dougald Cameron, Syl- vester Davis, Hiram Davis, Hammond Davis, Peter Decoster, Albert H. Hallett, Andrew J. Hankins. Edward P. Hodges, Terrence Healey, Wm. IT. Johnson, James E. Knight, Joseph Lee, Nelson Leary, John F. Leighton, James N. Martin, Alonzo V. Moore, Angus McGilvery. Wm. il. MeLaughlin, Asbury F. Pottle, James 1 .. Pierce, Jonathan Randall jr., Lyman Rumerey, Henry Richardson, David Reynolds, Charles Swan, Hosea Smith, Elisha Sherman, John Sherman, Thaddeus Touse, Ralph L. Teed, Henry A. Whitney, Wm. F. Walker, John A. Wheeler, Hilton B. Wright.
COMPANY B .-- James E. Alexander, William C. Allen, William Henry Bosworth, Leemon H. Bard, Andrew Bubier, John E. Christopher, James Coombs, 2d, George H. Douglass, Frank Deojay, Charles E. Graves, Dennis Gatchell, Abram T. Green, George M. Green, B. Franklin Higgins, Carlton Lancaster, Joseph E. Latham, David C. Merryman, William Maxwell, James McGrath, Augustus R. Oliver, James R. Oliver, Bradford H. Bush- ard, Loring O. Pushard, Wm. W. Penny, Jacob Powers, James E. Rollins, Frazier T. Shorey, Isaac F. Swan, John B. Tarr, Adam O. Trufaut, Orrio A. True, Eben B. Whitney.
COMPANY C .-- Win. P. Barker, James Bell, George W. Christopher, Daniel Everett, Alexander Graves, Michael Gallagher, James Johuston, William P. Morris, Benj. F. Owen, Hezekiah S. Owen, Whitman L. Orcutt, Jeremiah Perrowe, Sanford B. Preble, Melvin S. Preble, Charles C. Pomroy, Alfred W. Roberts, James Koax, Harrison II. Robinson, George Roy, Lyman R. Seigers, James M. Story, Samuel W. Stratton, Jeremiah Snow, Jonathan D. Snow, Win. Smith, Wm. H. Sutter, Charles HI. Shaw, Leander M. Wyman, John P. Walker, Charles S. Whitney. Samuel. Wilson.
COMPANY D. -- Warren T. DeCraney, Charles E. Emery, Duncan Falkner, Lyman W. Hanson, Clark Lewis, Joseph P. Martin, John Meara, Alexander Noble, Augustus W. Plommer, Edward Pearson, Henry S. Rich, George R. Ray, Octave St. Peter, Simeon Small, Asa B. Tuttle, Sidney Verrill, Parris R. Winslow, Robert B. Welch, Isaac C. Welch, Orlando Winslow.
COMPANY E. - Thomas Adams, Samuel Brown, Robert Boyd, Edward M. Ben- nett, John H. Bennett, John D. Blake, James H. Belton, Charles Cunningham, Joseph Casey, Patrick Collins, Richard Decorcey, Cornelius J. Desmond, James Furlong, Cornelius Fish, Daniel W. Garey, Patrick Gallagher, Shepherd Hoyt, Mercill B. Handing, David Lind- say, Charles W. Lake, Daniel MeCarty, John II. McCormick. Dana B. Morrill, Thomas Mc- Kee, Win. Murphy, Lewis Myshall, James McGinnis, John Noble, Robert S. Palmer, Alfred F. Perkin-, Gordon Perkins, David T. Sawyer, Orville L. Sawyer, MichaelTasnane, James P. Witham. [See foot-note page ;o. ]
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ruary, wore away, with nothing further accomplished, or even attempted, though troops were constantly arriving, and the preparations in progress seemed to indicate an attack upon some strongly fortified position of the enemy further up the coast or in the interior. Maj .- Gen. Dana had trans- ferred his headquarters from Brownsville to Matagorda Bay, and taken command of the coast expedition ; Franklin's troops were held in readiness to be transferred to the coast at any moment ; and it was well known that Gen. Banks was very anxious to occupy Galveston, as casy of access both to Berwick Bay and New Orleans, and as affording an excellent base for contemplated operations against Mobile. But he was very reluctant to move with an inadequate force, understanding very well that in whatever direction he struck he must encounter at once the entire available force of Gen. Magruder, which, concentrated in the region of Indianola, Houston and Galveston. was quietly awaiting developments. But the government was unable to furnish the additional troops deemed requisite, and our army unwittingly lapsed into a state of " masterly inactivity." Gen. Banks, how- ever, was quietly maturing his plans for the capture and occupation of Galveston, when he was again disconcerted (January 23d) by imperative instructions from Gen. Halleck, outlining another campaign, and one which
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* COMPANY F .-- Stephen J. Bailey, Alfred Corbett, Enoch Coburn, Robert R. Corbett, James R. Corbett, Thomas F. Coffin, James T. Durgin, Win. Dixon, John Fitzgerald, John E. Gatchell, Joshua N. Gatehell, Michael Hlignes, Joseph F. Harmon, John Kelly, Patrick Kelly, James Meladay, John Mehegan, Patrick Murray, Oswald McBrian, Eugene MeCarty, Maurice Murphy, Francis Martin, William Mitchell, William Ryan, Thomas Smith, Patrick Sweeney, James Saun lers, Seth Toothaker, Abizer York.
COMPANY G .- Fernando C. Bolster, Joseph Bolier, Philip Bolier, Charles H. Bolster, Charles A. Brawn, Charles T. Blackington, John Brown, Fabyan Crock, Joseph Cyr, Ray- moon I Cormair, Thomas Donnell, Maguire Dubay, William Duke, George F. Emerson, Charles F. Emerson, Mark Ellis, Daniel O. Eljecomb, George O. Fields, Francis Govern, Hediy il xls boa, Lorenzo D. Hatch, Bradford W. Laiten, Alonzo Lawton, Albert Marshall, George Martin, Elwart Murphy, William Morin, James Rideout, Thomas Violette, Wm. MI. Ward.
COMPANY H. - Oliver S. Barker, Alonzo Coan, William HI. Carr, Jedediah Cole, Oscar A. Coombs, Charles F. Dearborn, Joseph Davis, Jasper I. Fisher, John H. French, Henry W. Gary. Suntel W. Goolwin, Sylvester L. Hatch, Benjamin C. Hatch, Fred'k A. Ifiskell, John C. Libby, Jere. R. Leathers, Byron Libby, Wm. Mansfield, John Mckinney, George L. Marson, Janes Noble, William E. Pullen, Daniel Pinkham, John L. Russell, Samuel Robshaw, Warren Robbins, John C. Sweet, Chesley Shaw, Joseph W. Skillin, George Smith, Wm. E. Skillin, Francis M. Skillin.
COMPANY I. - George A. P. Bryant, Calvin G. Burkett, William Chaplin, Ed- ward Cunningham, John Devlin, Stephen H. Davis, Charles 11. Edgecomb, Otis Gilmore. Orrin J. Gaul, Lather V. Gilmore, Elijah N. Howe,, Albert O. Hall, Patrick Jordin, Reuben R. McFarland, Peter Noolea, Freeman Peaslee, Emersoa Pease, Win. F. Perry, Charles R. Rice, Frak Rusell, Wallace Russell. Martin Sweeney, Patrick Summers, Albert P. Tolman, Things Tobin, Joshn L. Tibbetts, Charles Wood, Robert Wilson.
COMPANY K -Henry HI. Archer, Benjamin Blyther. Isaac C. Bourness, John W. Boynton, Cyrus S. Crocker, Wm. Ellism, John A. Fenerty, Payson E. Fairfield, Jacob Foss, Joseph Hinton, Henry ffisaipp, John E. Hansoon, Daniel Hurley, Charles N. Joslin, Otis Ludwig. Frederick Leighton, George H1. Lingley, Thomas F. Lamson, Wm. Murphy, Peter F. McCann, John MeNutt, Daniel MeNutr, Thomas H. MeDonakl, Thomas Myers, Peter Mathersoon. Alonzo Moran ;. George Morrison, Augustus H Morse, Thomas Osborne, Robert Pearson, Henry C. Beasley, Josiah Page. jeremiah Quinn. John Quinn, Henry Rams lell, Frank E. Stickney, Ether W. Sprague, Aaron Wakefield, Jame, F. Wakefield, James Wallace.
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could only be undertaken by the practical abandonment of all that had been gained by the only expedition which, during the war, had been able to secure a foothold upon Texas soil. But other western generals were involved in the proposed campaign and were expected to co-operate, and like a good soldier, the commander of the Gulf Department could only obey orders, though entertaining very grave apprehensions as to the wis- dom of the plan and its probable outcome.
The new campaign contemplated retaining small garrisous, strongly fortified, on Matagorda Bay and at Brownsville, and the evacuation of all other points on the Texas coast. The order reached us Feb. 14th, and the work of demolition was at once commenced. Large fatigue parties were kept at work night and day, and very laboriously, in preparing for the abandonment of the coast, regiment after regiment slipping away as rapidly as transportation could be provided. The Fifteenth, which had been the first to land uyou the coast, was the last to depart-we, in this respect, holding the post of honor-"covering the retreat." The regiment "struck tents" Feb. 25th (1864) though not going upon shipboard until two days later, when, the government wharf being demolished and the public property removed, we left the barren and desolate peninsula and slipped across to Matagorda Island to await transportation.
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